On the Road with Ann

by Classical Pursuits founder and longtime walker Ann Kirkland For some, walking is a time-wasting and arduous chore when there are so many faster ways to get from A to B. And days-long hiking is a pointless and punishing undertaking. For others, the idea of a pilgrimage smacks of self-denying […]

Adjacent to Kraków sits Nowa Huta, an in-your-face proletarian antithesis to the medieval and Renaissance architecture found in Poland’s hub of intellectual and artistic expression. Begun in 1947, and funded by the Soviet Union, Nowa Huta is considered one of the finest examples of deliberate social engineering in the world. […]

There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry – This Traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of Toll – How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human Soul – — Emily Dickinson […]

“Knock, knock.” “Come on in. The door’s open.” That’s the kind of open-armed reception you receive in Newfoundland, where we will be returning this August on the Travel Pursuit In Search of the Newfoundland Soul. As before, we will split our time between St. John’s and the Eastport […]

Classical Pursuits is very excited to be mentioned in the recently published 100 Places in Spain Every Woman Should Go by Patricia Harris. Patricia’s chapter on the Camino and its history features Ann’s experience of walking the entire Camino Francés in 2010. Ann’s six weeks on the road inspired her to […]

“Well, you know, we all want to change the world …” It was not the Beatles but the Rolling Stones at the centre of a mammoth street party in Cuba just before we arrived. Still, I could not help using the Beatles’ lens during my stay of nearly a month with […]

In just a few days Ann will be following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, Barack Obama, and the Rolling Stones. She is off on our first-ever Travel Pursuit to Cuba. As she was reading and packing she realized she needed a crash course in Cuban history and so prepared […]

“And keep your eyes wide The chance won’t come again” – Bob Dylan Sometimes one has the chance to be an eyewitness to history at a remarkable moment. Ten years ago, visitors were told what we now know to be true: that along with the end of the Castro regime would come […]

Confession – I want to sell you a Travel Pursuit to Dubai from March 7 to 13, 2016. Selling does not come naturally to me, but I think this trip deserves an extra push since, if you are anything like I was, Dubai may not be on your radar. My vision of […]

Classical Pursuits organizes literary and cultural trips and seminars in Toronto, Canada, and around the world. We provide adventures for the mind to places like Hemingway's Paris, Joyce's Dublin, Dante Alighieri's Italy, and Flannery O’Connor’s Savannah. With our travel partner Worldwide Quest (TICO Reg: #2667946), we plan both scheduled small group trips and private tours.